Working With Children Clearance Register Procedure

Help for non-English speakers

If you need help to understand this policy, please contact the office on 9560 6371 or glen.waverley.south.ps@education.vic.gov.au

Purpose

To ensure compliance with the requirements of the Minimum Standards for school registration, including the Child Safe Standards, Glen Waverley South Primary School maintains a register of all employees, volunteers and visitors (including contractors) Working with Children Clearance (WWCC) details, where they are required to have one under the Worker Screening Act 2020 or under our school or department policies.

The register includes each person’s:

• name
• clearance number
• expiry date
• WWCC type (employee/volunteer)
• Card status

This procedure outlines how our school maintains this register. It also outlines the required process for entering WWCC and Victorian Institute of Teaching (VIT) registration information onto eduPay.

PROCEDURE

VIT registration and WWCC requirements

All employees of Glen Waverley South Primary School employed to undertake teaching duties must be registered with the VIT. This includes Casual Relief Teachers (CRTs). Staff with VIT registration do not also require a WWCC.

All employees of Glen Waverley South Primary School employed as education support staff or in roles that are non-teaching roles must have a current WWCC (unless they have VIT registration).

Employee VIT registration and WWCC details must be recorded in eduPay. Procedures for staff to enter VIT registration and WWCC details into eduPay are set out in the Update Victorian Institute of Teaching and Working With Children Check card details quick reference guide.

All volunteers and visitors (including contractors or staff placed through agencies/third parties) who are engaged in child-related work or are required to have a WWCC under our school’s Volunteers or Visitors policies will be required to provide evidence of a current WWCC.

Employee, volunteer and visitor WWCC details will be recorded in our WWCC Register.

Any employee, volunteer or visitor who does not have a current satisfactory WWCC or VIT registration where required under this procedure, will be removed from their duties until such time as they provide satisfactory evidence of their clearance.

WWCC Register

Our school maintains the WWCC Register in on our local network file.

Adding new employees, volunteers and visitors to the WWCC Register

Glen Waverley South Primary School administrative staff are responsible for sighting, verifying and recording WWCC information for any new employee, volunteer or visitor (where applicable), under the following process:

1. Record the relevant WWC clearance details in the WWC Status Checker – the person’s first name can be entered into the ‘Personnel #’ column
2. Ensure the WWWC card type is correct (Employee or Volunteer)
3. Click “Start status check” to ensure the information provided is valid
4. Request that the employee, volunteer (or visitor if engaged to work at the school on a regular basis) access their MyCheck account to update their details to include the name of the school
5. Save the WWC Status Checker in local network file
6. Retain a copy of any documentation sent by the Department of Justice and Community Safety (such as the letter of confirmation for employees and any volunteers or contractors who have listed the school on their WWCC details), and records of any other child safety suitability checks (such as reference checks) in the employee file or relevant file for visitors and volunteers WWCC information.

Ongoing maintenance of the WWCC Register

1. At the beginning of each school year our administrative staff will run another check of the WWC Status Checker to check if there have been any changes to a person’s WWCC status
2. Where a person’s WWCC status has changed to indicate a concern (eg expired, suspension or revocation of clearance) administrative staff will inform the principal immediately and steps will be taken to ensure the person is removed from their duties until such time as they provide satisfactory evidence of their clearance.
3. At the same time as running the check administrative staff will note where clearances are due to expire during the year
4. Where the check is expiring during the year administrative staff will contact the WWCC holder to remind them that their WWCC is due to expire and to request updated information once it has been renewed
5. When the updated information is provided the information is entered into the WWC Status Checker and verified by clicking “Start status check”

Employee VIT or WWCC information on eduPay

Upon engagement of a new employee Glen Waverley South Primary School Business Manager will follow the eduPay User Guide: School Appointments to ensure they are properly entered into eduPay (regardless of whether they are Department or school council employees) including:

• checking that employees have been entered correctly as either a teacher (if they are performing teaching duties) or education support staff, and that valid and current VIT registration or WWCC information (as applicable) has been entered into eduPay by the staff member
• for employees who have entered WWCC information, checking that the card type is entered as ‘Employee’ and verifying the WWCC details through the process outlined above.

VIT registration status is verified and monitored through a centralised process between VIT and the Department of Education and Training and our school will be informed by the Department of any change to VIT registration status that requires action.

RELATED POLICIES AND RESOURCES

Glen Waverley South Primary School policies:

• Visitors Policy
• Volunteers Policy
• Child Safety and Wellbeing Policy
• Child Safety Code of Conduct

Department policies:

• Child Safe Standards
• Contractor OHS Management
• Recruitment in Schools
• Suitability for Employment Checks
• Visitors in Schools
• Volunteers in Schools
• Working with Children Checks and other Suitability Checks for School Volunteers and Visitors

 

PROCEDURE REVIEW AND APPROVAL 

Procedures last reviewed	August 2023
Approved by	Principal
Next scheduled review date	August 2026